Ionizing radiation produces a wide range of deleterious effects in living organisms. Humans are exposed to radiation during diagnostic and therapeutic radiographic procedures, when using electron devices, from background radiation of nuclear accidents, and during sir and space travel. Current global developments have additionally established terrorism as dangerous means by which potentially large numbers of people can be exposed to lethal amounts of radiation. It is, therefore, of high importance to identify radioprotective agents that can be administered both before exposure to radiation, and as treatment after radioactive exposure.
Natural products and their analogs are increasingly considered as promising leads for the discovery and development of radioprotectors. Both (2R,3R)- and (2S,3S)]-enantiomers of secoisolariciresinol and meso-secoisolariciresinol have been detected in plants, but only the (2R,3R)-[(−)secoisolariciresinol]-isomer occurs abundantly. Although this compound is available by extraction from flaxseed, the necessary subsequent purification is a non-trivial and tedious process. Accordingly, there exists a need to develop a short and enantioselective synthesis to prepare enantiopure secoisolariciresinol from readily available commercial materials.